Ink-jet printers, such as thermal and piezo ink-jet printers, provide an effective means of propelling inks onto various types of media including plain and coated paper. Specifically, a typical ink-jet printhead has an array of precisely formed nozzles located on a nozzle plate and attached to an ink-jet printhead substrate. The substrate incorporates an array of firing chambers that receive liquid ink (colorants dissolved or dispersed in a solvent) through fluid communication with one or more ink reservoirs. In certain printers, each chamber has a thin-film resistor located opposite the nozzle so ink can collect between the firing resistor and the nozzle. Upon energizing a particular resistor element, a droplet of ink is expelled through the nozzle toward a print medium. Such printers, as typified by the Hewlett-Packard DeskJet™ and DesignJet™ printers, are desirable for use for several reasons.
In general, ink-jet inks are either dye- or pigment-based inks. Dye-based ink-jet inks can use a soluble colorant that is usually water-based to turn the media a specific color. Insoluble dyes have also been used in ink-jet ink formulations, wherein the insoluble dyes are dispersed rather than solubilized in a liquid vehicle. Such insoluble dyes can be considered to be similar to pigmented inks, which typically disperse the colorant within the liquid vehicle. In many cases, the line quality and accuracy of plots produced by insoluble colorant-based inks can be superior to that of water-soluble colorant-based inks. However, color saturation is often superior with water-soluble dye-based ink-jet inks.
No matter what system is used, consumers are demanding reliable printing products with more and more features which can be easily and effectively maintained. Thus, it would be an advancement in the art to provide ink-jet inks, methods, and systems that provide additional value to consumers and reliability to consumers.